Apparatus for automatic cleaning particularly of the bottom of a swimming pool

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for filtering debris from a body of liquid, particularly for automatic cleaning of the bottom of a swimming pool. The apparatus includes a housing having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, and a filter located between the inlet and outlet. The apparatus is configured such that liquid is expelled from the housing through the outlet in a direction along a line which does not intersect the axis of symmetry of the housing, which tends to provide a force for rotating the housing about its axis of symmetry. A device is further provided for counteracting the rotational force to propel the apparatus substantially rectilinearly. When an obstacle is encountered by the apparatus, such as a wall of the swimming pool, the device for counteracting the rotational force is no longer effective to maintain rectilinear movement. Consequently, the apparatus rotates and then moves rectilinearly away from the obstacle or wall. Repeated movement in this manner is effective to remove debris from the entire bottom surface of the swimming pool or like surface. The apparatus can also be made to float and to thereby clean the upper surface of a body of liquid, particularly the upper surface of a swimming pool. pe

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus having automaticdisplacement capable of cleaning by aspiration in particular the bottomof a swimming pool or the like.

The cleaning of a swimming pool consists of removing the deposits whichoccur essentially on the bottom.

2. Background and Discussion of Relevant Information

This operation is performed most often, manually by means of a sweepconnected to the general aspiration of the swimming pool.

This operation which must be performed once per week quickly becomes achore which explains the value of automatic cleaning apparatus and theirdevelopment despite an expensive price.

The available automatic apparatus on the market are classified in twomajor categories: agitators and aspirators.

The agitators are sorts of octopuses which are animated by a recyclingof pressurized water.

Their role is to resuspend in the water the deposits which haveoccurred. The materials in suspension are then eliminated by the generalfiltration system of the swimming pool.

The aspirators are apparatus with automatic displacement on the bottomand if desired the walls of the pool, which are, either connected to thegeneral aspiration by a floating pipe or a superpressurizer, orelectrically controlled by an on board propulsive set programmed ifdesired.

The majority of displacement systems of these apparatus rely upon asophisticated mechanism (turbines, gears, submerged pump, motor-reducer,end of path contacts) of an elevated manufacture and maintenance cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention attempts to overcome these disadvantages and itsaim is to provide an automatic operation apparatus, of simple design andutilizing the hydraulic energy of the recycling of the water of theswimming pool to assure the aspiration of the deposits and thepropulsion of the apparatus.

To this end, the invention has as object an apparatus for the automaticcleaning particularly of the bottom of a swimming pool or the like,characterized in that it comprises an aspiration container in thegeneral form of a flattened cylinder of vertical axis provided with aremovable bottom defining therewith an aspiration orifice or mouthsituated in a plane substantially parallel to the surface to be cleanedand at a small distance therefrom, and an outlet orifice of aspiratedwater, a filter positioned in the container between the said aspirationorifice and the said water outlet orifice, a means integral with thecontainer adapted to aspirate the water of the container and to send itinto a pipe carried by the container and oriented substantially parallelto the plane of the surface to be cleaned and a deflector wing attachedto the container, the axis of the propulsive jet of the pipe beinglaterally offset with respect to the vertical axis of the container andcutting the plane of the deflector wing.

Such an apparatus is of the type to displace itself along the bottom ofa pool by reaction along a straight line defined by the resultant of thepropulsive force of the jet of the pipe and the braking force of thedeflector wing, then, upon contact with a lateral wall of the swimmingpool, to pivot to start again along another direction and to repeat thesame pivoting against another wall, the apparatus displacing itself thusin the manner of a billiard ball return by the edges and finishing bypassing over the entire surface of the bottom and thus completelycleaning it.

The water and the impurities and various debris covering the bottom arethus aspirated into the container, th impurities and debris are filteredand the water aspirated is ejected by the propulsive pipe.

The apparatus rests on the bottom by means of swivelling wheels and/or abrush positioned in a cordon adjacent to the said water aspirationorifice.

The propulsion means of the container can be an apparatus known as ahydro-injector and comprising a water injection inlet orifice connectedby a flexbile pipe to a recycle mouth or the like of the swimming pool,a water aspiration orifice connected to the water outlet orifice of thecontainer and a recycle pipe constituting the said propulsive pipe. Thisapparatus has the merit of utilizing traditional equipment of theswimming pool and of consuming practically no energy by virtue of thefact that the recycling system of the water of the swimming pool ispractically always in action.

The propulsion means can likewise be constituted by an electric pumpincorporated into the container and driving a turbine positioned in aconduit connecting the water outlet orifice of the container to the saidpropulsive pipe. The electricity is furnished, either by a floatingelectric cable connected to a grounded electric source, or from an onboard battery.

This second propulsion means lends itself most particularly to providingan apparatus likewise capable of displacing itself on the surface of thewater, the "head" down, and cleaning the surface by aspiration of thesurface film of water. To this end, one or more removable floats areattached to the bottom and the container of the apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other characteristics and advantages will become clear from thedescription which follows of the embodiments of the apparatus of theinvention, description given by way of example only and with referenceto the annexed drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a vertical cross-section of a swimming pool with itsequipment and an apparatus according to the invention in action on thebottom;

FIG. 2 illustrates the displacement of the apparatus on the bottom ofthe swimming pool;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a first embodiment of an apparatus according tothe invention;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-section along line IV--IV of the apparatus ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an axial vertical cross-section of an alternative embodimentof the apparatus of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-section of another embodiment of an apparatusaccording to the invention; and

FIG. 7 illustrates the apparatus of FIG. 6, the "head" down for thecleaning of the surface of the water of the swimming pool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a swimming pool 1 with its water aspiration pump 2, itsfilter 3 and a filtered water recycle mouth 4 in the swimming pool. Atthe bottom of the swimming pool a cleaning apparatus 5 displaces itselfpropelled by reaction force and connected by a flexible channel 6 to therecycle mouth 4.

FIGS. 3 and 4 schematically illustrate one embodiment of apparatus 5schematically shown in FIG. 1.

The apparatus shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is constituted by a container orhousing having a substantially cylindrical outer wall with a 7 verticalaxis open at its lower portion and having at its upper portion acircular orifice 8 coaxial with container 7, called a water outletorifice.

The lower orifice is almost entirely blocked by a removable bottom 9defining only with the lower edge of the container an orifice or outlet10 called an aspiration orifice in the form of a narrow arched window,extending over approximately 120° of the circumference of the container7.

On the opposite side of aspiration mouth 10 bottom 9 is provided withswivelling wheels 11. Adjacent the mouth the lower edge of container 7is provided with an arched brush 12 having substantially the same shapeand length as the lower edge of the container. The arched brush 12 andwheels 11 maintain the apparatus at a sufficient distance from thebottom of the swimming pool to allow for its displacement andappropriate aspiration of the various impurities and debris litteringthe bottom, after a preliminary brushing of the surface to be cleaned.

Within container 7 is positioned an annular filter F of the washablecartridge type for example, interposed between aspiration mouth 10 andwater outlet orifice 8.

This orifice makes container 7 communicate with a reaction hydraulicpropulsion apparatus 13 commonly called a hydro-injector.

Such an apparatus is well known and need not be described in detail. Itcomprises a propulsive tube 14 whose inlet is connected to the wateroutlet orifice 8 and an injector 15 opening onto the axis of pipe 14 andconnected to an orifice 16 called an injection orifice coaxial withorifice 8 and connected by a turning connection 17 with flexible channel6.

The body of the hydro-injector 13 has the general shape of a T, the pipe14 being positioned horizontally. Furthermore, the outlet 14a of thepipe (FIG. 3) is directed on the side such that the axis 18 of thrust ofthe ejected water does not cut the vertical axis of the apparatus but isoffset in a fashion so as to cut a deflector wing vertical plane 19fixedly mounted on the container-hydro-injector assembly.

The angular position (FIG. 3) of pipe 14 and wing 19 with respect to theopening of aspiration mouth 10 is determined in a fashion such that inthe water the conjugation of the propulsive force 18 with the reactionto the advancement caused by wing 19 causes a resultant force displacingthe apparatus in a direction 20 in the axis of the aspiration mouth 10.

The trajectory of the apparatus in movement on the bottom of theswimming pool is shown in FIG. 2. It is more or less similar to that ofa billiard ball which successively hits the sides of the billiard tableand keeps moving such that it practically never passes over the samespot and thus arrives at the end of a certain number of successivechanges of direction, to "cover" the entire surface on which it isdisplaced.

In the absence of an obstacle the apparatus 5 displaces in a rectilinearfashion. Arriving at abutment (A) against the wall of the swimming pool,the resistance to the advancement caused by the wing 19 disappears andthe rotational movement which has a tendency to apply the offsetpropulsive force 18 on the apparatus 5 is no longer compensated suchthat apparatus 5 will pivot substantially on itself (B) around itsvertical axis unitl the reaction of the wall (C) disappears and the wing19 reassumes its full compensation effect. At this moment apparatus 5 isoriented in direction 21 and displaces itself practically in a straightline. In FIG. 2 out of concern for clarity three offset positions A, B,C of the apparatus are shown during the encounter with the wall. Inreality the three positions are approximately superimposed

Upon encountering D with another wall of the swimming pool the apparatuswill again veer away from the edge and take off again along directiondirection 22, to again veer at E and take off along direction 23; andthus continuing in a manner so as to "sweep" the entire bottom surfaceof the swimming pool at the end of a certain amount of time.

In the course of its displacements the brush 12 brushes the bottom thusraising the deposits. These are then aspirated by the reduced pressurecreated within container 7 by hydro-injector 13 and retained by thefilter F. The aspirated water purified of its various debris is thendirected towards pipe 14 and participates in the propulsive effort ofthe motor.

The connection of channel 6 to the recycle system 4 of the pool allowsfor a normal operation of the filtration installation of the water ofthe swimming pool which eliminates the impurities which would not havebeen arrested by filter F of apparatus 5. The latter necessitatestherefore neither exterior installation nor additional energy.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodimemnt in which the deflectorwing assembly 19-hydro-injector 13 is mounted rotatable on container 7'in the manner of a weather vane.

The aspiration mouth 10' is, as a result, totally circular and theraised removable bottom 9' is provided with a brush 12' in the form of acircular cordon attached to the periphery of the bottom. The lattercomprises, as the bottom 9 of the embodiment of FIG. 4, an internal edge24 over the entire length of mouth 10', so as to hold fast the debrisand impurities in the apparatus during the outward exit of the waterfrom the apparatus, to empty it in particular and change the filter. Theapparatus rests on the bottom of the swiming pool only by means of thebrush cordon 12'.

It should be noted that the apparatus does not utilize adherence on thebottom of the swiming pool to displace itself and, as a result, itsdisplacement on an inclined bottom does not pose a problem because thereis no risk of sliding.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment in which the propulsivereaction means is constituted by a turbine 25 positioned in a bentconduit 26 serving as a pipe and mounted rotatable on the water outletorifice 8 of container 7" of the apparatus.

The turbine 25, of axis coaxial to the axis of container 7" is driven byan electric motor 27 attached on the bottom 9" within annular filter F.The aspiration mouth 10" is circular and provided with a brush cordon12' as in the apparatus of FIG. 5.

The rotating pipe 26 has its end likewise oriented in an offset mannerwith respect to the vertical axis of the apparatus and is likewiseprovided with a deflector wing 19". The apparatus displaces itselfexactly as those of the preceding figures.

The electric feed of motor 27 is assured, either by a floating electriccable 28 connected to a grounded electric source (sector or another), orfrom a group of batteries loaded on the apparatus as symbolically shownat 29. In this latter version the apparatus can be utilized to clean thesurface of the water 30 (FIG. 7) of the swimming pool by placing the"head" down and making it float by virtue of one or more removablefloats 31 attached to the bottom 9" and on the container 7" in a mannersuch that mouth 10" aspirates the film of surface water of the swimmingpool.

In inverted position the apparatus displaces itself as easily byreaction and will pivot and start again in another direction by touchingthe edge of the swimming pool.

Finally, the invention is obviously not limited to the embodiments shownand described above but on the contrary covers all variations,particularly with respect to the shapes and arrangements of thepropulsive pipe and the deflector wing as much with respect to oneanother as with respect to the container of the apparatus.

I claim:
 1. Apparatus for the automatic cleaning of a bottom surface ofa pool comprising a generally cylindrical aspiration container having asubstantially vertical axis during operation provided with a removablebottom defining therewith an aspiration orifice situated in a planesubstantially parallel to and spaced a small distance from said bottomsurface to be cleaned, and an outlet orifice, a filter positioned insaid container between said aspiration orifice and said outlet orifice,a means integral with said container for aspirating the water from saidcontainer, said apparatus further comprising propulsive means comprisinga pipe connected to said means for aspirating said water to thereby sendsaid water into said pipe along a predetermined axis, said pipe carriedby said container and oriented substantially parallel to said surface tobe cleaned, said apparatus further comprising a deflector wingpositioned in a predetermined plane and attached to said container, saidaxis of said pipe being laterally offset to thereby not intersect saidvertical axis of said container and intersecting said plane of saiddeflector wing.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein saidpropulsive means are constituted by a hydro-injector comprising aninjector connected to a flexible pipe at a first end by means of arotating connection, said rotating connection adapted to be connected ata second end to a recycle mouth of said pool.
 3. Apparatus according toclaim 2, wherein said hydro-injector is fixedly mounted on saidcontainer, said aspiration orifice having an arched shape and positionedin the axis of displacement of said apparatus, in the front of saidapparatus.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said aspirationorifice is provided with a brush cordon, swivelling wheels beingattached to said bottom opposite to said aspiration orifice. 5.Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said hydro-injector is mountedrotatably to said deflector wing on said container, said aspirationorifice being circular and provided with a brush cordon which is alsocircular.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said propulsivemeans is constituted by a turbine driven by an on board electric motorand positioned in said pipe, said pipe being mounted rotatably to saiddeflector wing on said container of said apparatus.
 7. Apparatusaccording to claim 6, wherein said on board motor is electrically drivenby batteries, likewise on board, floats adapted to be attached onto saidbottom of said apparatus to allow said apparatus to move in an inverseposition on the surface of the water.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 1,wherein said outlet orifice is coaxial to said vertical axis of saidapparatus and said filter is an annular filter positioned in saidcontainer coaxially to said outlet orifice.
 9. An apparatus for cleaninga body of liquid comprising:(a) a housing having a first end and asecond end; (b) a liquid inlet located in said housing proximate saidfirst end for receiving liquid and debris from said body of liquid; (c)a liquid outlet located in said housing proximate said second end fordischarging said liquid from said housing; (d) means associated withsaid liquid outlet in said housing for propelling liquid through saidliquid outlet; (e) means for directing said liquid discharged from saidhousing through said liquid outlet along a first axis and for therebyproviding a propelling force for displacing said apparatus within saidbody of liquid in a displacement direction; and (f) means formaintaining said displacement direction of said apparatus substantiallyalong a second axis which is angled relative to said first axis.
 10. Anapparatus according to claim 9, wherein said housing comprises a thirdaxis which extends through said first end and said second end and,further, wherein said first axis is offset from said third axis.
 11. Anapparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for maintaining saiddisplacement direction of said apparatus is a deflector wing mounted onsaid housing.
 12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said axisis substantially vertical and said deflector wing comprises asubstantially vertically extending surface.
 13. An apparatus accordingto claim 12, wherein said surface is substantially perpendicular to saidsecond axis.
 14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said firstaxis intersects said surface at a predetermined angle.
 15. An apparatusaccording to claim 14, wherein said predetermined angle is oblique. 16.An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said housing comprises afront portion facing substantially in said direction of displacement andwherein said means for maintaining said displacement direction of saidapparatus further comprises said liquid inlet being located in saidfront portion of said housing.
 17. An apparatus according to claim 16,wherein said second axis lies substantially in a plane which containssaid third axis and wherein said liquid inlet is substantiallysymmetrical to said plane.
 18. An apparatus according to claim 9,further comprising means for changing said displacement direction ofsaid apparatus in response to said apparatus encountering an obstacleduring its displacement.
 19. An apparatus according to claim 18, whereinsaid means for changing said displacement direction of said apparatuscomprises means for pivotably mounted at least a portion of said meansfor directing said liquid and at least a portion of said means formaintaining said displacement direction of said apparatus substantiallyalong said second axis to said housing.
 20. An apparatus according toclaim 19, wherein said means for directing said liquid comprises aconduit and wherein said means for maintaining said displacementdirection of said apparatus comprises a deflector wing.
 21. An apparatusaccording to claim 20, whereby said housing comprises a substantiallyvertical axis and whereby said conduit and said deflector wing aremounted to pivot around said substantially vertical axis relative tosaid housing.
 22. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein saidapparatus further comprises swivelling wheels connected proximate one ofsaid first end and said second end.
 23. An apparatus according to claim22, wherein said means for directing said liquid discharged from saidhousing comprises a conduit and wherein said means for maintaining saiddisplacement direction of said apparatus comprises a deflector wing,whereby aid conduit and said deflector wing are fixed against movementto said housing.
 24. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein saidmeans for propelling liquid through said liquid outlet comprises ahydraulic propulsion apparatus connected for operative association withsaid liquid outlet and said means for directing said liquid dischargedfrom said housing to thereby entrain liquid through said liquid outletto said means for directing said liquid discharged from said housing.25. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said housing comprisesthird axis which extends through said first and said second end andwherein said hydraulic propulsion apparatus comprises an inlet orificesubstantially coaxial with said third axis for supplying entrainingfluid to said hydraulic propulsion apparatus for entraining liquidthrough said liquid outlet.
 26. An apparatus according to claim 25,further comprising a flexible conduit connected to said inlet orifice ofsaid hydraulic propulsion apparatus adapted to be connected to afiltered water recycle mouth of a swimming pool.
 27. An apparatusaccording to claim 24, further comprising means to power said hydraulicpropulsion apparatus.
 28. An apparatus according to claim 27, whereinsaid means to power said hydraulic propulsion apparatus comprises anelectric motor.
 29. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein saidmeans to power said hydraulic propulsion apparatus further comprisesbatteries.
 30. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means forpropelling liquid through said liquid outlet comprises a power-drivenimpeller mounted substantially coaxially with said liquid outlet.
 31. Anapparatus according to claim 30, wherein said means for directing saidliquid discharged from said housing through said liquid outlet comprisesa conduit having a first end connected to said liquid outlet and saidpower-driven impeller is mounted for rotation within said conduit fordischarging liquid from said housing from a second end.
 32. An apparatusaccording to claim 31, wherein said first end of said conduit isrotatably mounted relative to said housing.
 33. An apparatus accordingto claim 9, wherein said apparatus further comprises means for enablingsaid apparatus to
 34. An apparatus according to claim 9, furthercomprising means connected proximate said first end of said housing todislodge debris from a surface of said body of liquid.
 35. An apparatusaccording to claim 34, wherein said means to dislodge debris comprises abrush.
 36. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprisingfiltering means located in said housing for filtering said debris fromsaid liquid before said liquid is discharged via said liquid outlet. 37.An apparatus for filtering debris from a body of liquid comprising ahousing, said housing comprising a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet andan axis of symmetry, means for filtering located between said inlet andsaid outlet, means for expelling liquid from said housing through saidliquid outlet in a direction along a line not intersecting said axis ofsymmetry, for providing a propelling force to said apparatus, and meansfixed relative to said outlet for directing said apparatus substantiallyrectilinearly within said body of liquid.